Turbine runner



July 25, 1944.

O. CELlO TURBINE RUNNER Filed Feb. 22, 1943 lnventor Orlano CelioPatented July 25, 1944 vori-.milo Celio, Soleure, switzerlandApplication February 22, 1943, Serial No. 476,783

, In Switzerland July 2, 1942 9 claims.

lon'a.- mass production basis Moreover, owing to the precise workmanshiprequired in their construction and the complicated mounting of theblades which must be' assembled in correct spaced relation to eachother, such'runners are very expensive.'

-The novel construction of this invention inherently eliminates theaboveand like disadvantages of known arrangements and methods ofmounting turbine runners Iby employing a laminated core xed preferablybetween two coaxial -circular half-sections of the vrunner body andconsistingl of a plurality of superposed plates disposed concentricallyto the axis of rotation of the runner, said plates being provided with aseries of notches around their periphery, the

A,notches of each plate being angularly displaced with respect to thenotches of adjacent plates so as to .form in said core stepped groovescon- `forrningvto the cross sectional contour of the blades which areinserted into said grooves and held therein against removal in vbothaxial and radial direction by inwardly directed flange portions of therunner body overlapping the inserted ends of said blades. z v

The invention also consists in the further features as. hereinafterdescribed and set forth' in the dependent claims.

In the accompanying .sheetY of explanatory drawing: s

Fig. 1 is a front elevation partially in section of the assembledturbine runner according to the invention; y y f Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of said runner looking in vfrom the -left of Fig. 1; 1

Fig. 3 is a detail View showing a singleelement of the blade carryingcoreof the runner;

Fig. 4 lis ra detail front elevation and Fig. 5 is a top planv view Vofa single blade, the latter of said gures showing also adjacent portionsof the blade carrying core;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing elements ofthe blade carrying core indisplaced relation.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the improvedconstruction comprises a runner disk formed with two coaxial circularhalf-sections I and 2 whichV are united at their inner ends, .and 'alaminated core 3 mounted between said half-sections and carrying aseries of radial blades 4 equally distributed along the peripheryofltherunner. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the blades '4 may be bounded bya' 'convex cylindrical surface on their leading side and by a concavecylindrical surface on their trailing or'reaction side, the elements ofthese twocylindrical-surfaces being normally parallel and extending fromend to end of the blades.

The core V3 is shown composed of a plurality of superposed circularplates 5 disposed perpendicularly and concentrically to the laxis ofrotationrof the runner and formedeach with a centrally disposed circularrecess 6 anda seriesvof holes 9 alining with corresponding Aholes ID inthe two half-sections I and. 2 ofthe runner disk, said holes beingadapted to receive rivet pins Il or any suitable equivalent by means ofwhichsaid plates n mayl be assembled and fixed tothe runner disk.

Moreover, the plates 5 are shown vprovided with a series of millednotches extending between radial teeth l, the notches being preferablyof the same size and uniform spacing around the periphery of any oneyplate. However, the width of the notches 'on successiveplates may bevaried. Further, as clearlyshown in Fig, 6, thenotchesand teeth 'l ofeach plate are angularly displaced with respect to, the notches andteeth .,'l and l ofadjacentplates so as to form in the c ore 3 steppedgrooves 8 the inner and outer edges of which merge into a curved orrounded contour that is adapted to conform to the contour of the blades4 (Fig. 5). To ensurethe desired angularity ofthe notches of superposedplates, the teeth 'l of each plate are set at a determined distance efrom the radius interconnecting the centers of thekrecess 6 and one ofthe holes 9 (Fig. 3). ,It'will Ibe seen that the distance exonsuccessive plates is a vfunction of the curve of the blade. l Y

, The facing central bosses of the parts I and 2 of the runner diskforman internal hub I2 upon which vmay be seated a centering ring `I3 havingan outer diameter equalito the inner diameter of the recess 6 inthe'plates 5. vThe said ring may be used to center-the core 3 on therunner disk and also to hold thetwo half-sections of said disk incorrect `position with respect to each other.

.. The blades 4 of the runner., which arebest seen in Figs. 4 and 5 ofthe drawing, may be of any suitable form to which the staggering orangular displacement of the notches in successive plates can always beadapted. It will be seen that the precision of conformity of the grooves8 formed in the laminated core 3 to the contour of the blades increaseswith the number of plates used.

The inner ends of the blades 4 are narrowed as at I4 to form a neckwherein are engaged the inwardly directed outer anges I and 2 of parts Iand 2 of the runner disk. The sides of the neck I4 being flat, the neckis closely confined between the said anges on the runner disk and,hence, also serves to maintain the desired angularity of the blades.

The assembling of this runner is the following:

The laminated core 3 is built up on' the ring I3, the various notchedplates 5 being combined and superposed in a manner to form the steppedgrooves 8 conforming to the contour of the blades 4. The precise mutualangular adjustment of successive plates is obtained by keeping theirholes 9 in alignment. A blade is` then inserted into each one of saidgrooves and, nally, the half-sections I and 2 of theA runner Vdisk areplaced laterally on the ring I3 thereby overlapping the neck I4 0f theblades at I and 2 which are thus secured in position and retainedagainst removal. The whole of this structure is held together by therivets II.

The necks I4 are formed to fit closely the flanges I `and 2, and it isAimmaterial to the final form of the device whether theblades are indi#vidually machined to form thenecks or are machined as a group to formtheY necks while the blades are spaced by the laminated core 3.

It will be seen that the laminated core 3 maintains the circumferentialspacing of the blades and assists in maintaining their radial position.Besides, it has also the function of transmitting the force reaction ofthe blades to the clamping halves of the runner disk. On the other hand,the opposed flanges at the periphery of the disk by which this clampingeffect is produced hold;

the blades against motion in the axial as well as in an outward radialdirection and, at the same time, maintain their angularity under theaction of jets.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction and advantagesof the present invention may be readily understood by those skilled inthe art without further description, it being borne in mind thatnumerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departingfrom the spirit of. the invention as set out in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A turbine runner, in particular for steam and gas turbines, having incombination a runner disk, at least one series of .appropriatelycontoured blades extending substantially radially from the periphery ofsaid disk, a blade carrying laminated core mounted on said disk andcomprising a plurality of superposed plates disposed concentrically tothe axis of rotation of the run* ner, said plates being provided withaseries of notches around their periphery, the notches of each platebeing angularly displaced with respect to the notches of adjacent platesso as to form in said core stepped grooves approximately conforming tothe cross sectional contour of the blades which are Y inserted into saidgrooves, means for centering said core on the runner disk, and meansformed on said disk and directly engaging portions of the blades toretain the blades against removal in both axial and radial directions.

2. A turbine runner, in particular for steam and gas turbines, having incombination a runner disk, at least one series of appropriatelycontoured blades extending substantially radially from the periphery ofsaid disk, a blade carrying laminated core mounted on said disk andcomprising a plurality of superposed plates disposed concentrically tothe axis of rotation of the runner, said plates being provided with .aseries of lnotches around their periphery, the width of the notches onsuccessive plates being varied and the notches of each plate beingangularly displaced with respect to the notches of adjacent plates so asto form in said core stepped grooves the inner and outer edges of whichmerge into a curved contour conforming to the cross sectional contour ofthe blades which are inserted into said grooves,

means for centering said core on the runner disk, and clamping means onsaid disk directly engaging portions of the blades Ato fix the radialand axial position of the blades and also their angularity. l

3. A turbine runner, in particular for steam and gas turbines,comprising in combination a runner disk constructed of two coaxialhalf-sections having each a centrally disposedhub and an inwardlyldirected circular ange portion at the periphery, at least one series ofblades extending radially from the periphery of `said disk, said bladesbeing bounded by a convex cylindrical surface on their leading side andby a concave cylindrical surface on their trailing ror re actionl side,a blade carrying laminated core mounted between said half-sections andcentered on the hubs thereof, said core consisting of a plurality ofsuperposed circular plates disposed perpendicularly to the axis ofrotation of the runner, said plates being provided with a series ofnotches around their periphery, the width of the notches on successiveplates being varied and the notches of each plate being angularlydisplaced with respect to the notches of adjacent plates so as to formin said corerstepped grooves the inner and outer edges of which mergeinto a curved contour conforming tothe cross sectional contour of theblades which are inserted with one end into said grooves and heldtherein against removal in both axial and radial direc tion by theinwardly directed flange portions of the runner disk overlapping theinserted ends of said blades.

4. A turbine runner as claimed in claim 3, the inserted end of theblades being narrowed toform a neck having flat sides adapted to beclosely conned between the inwardly directed flange por# tions of therunner disk.

5. A turbine runner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the blade carryinglaminated core is centered on the hubs of the half-sections of therunner disk by the intermediary of a centering ring serving, at the sametime, to hold said half,- sections in correct position with respect4 toeach other, and wherein common means are provided for assembling theplates of the laminated core and fixing the assembled core to both thehalf-sections of said runner disk.

6. A turbine runner comprising in combination a pair of mating diskshaving complementary hubforming portions and having on and near theperiphery of their proximate faces, annular grooves adapted to receiveand confine lugs on turbine blades; a circumferential series ofconcavo-convex turbine blades mounted around the periphery of said disksand retained between the same, said blades having lugs closely confinedin said grooves; a laminated core interposed between said disks and madeup of a plurality of plates each plate having a notched periphery,successive blades being received in and confined by successive notchesin said laminated core and the plates being angularly offset so thattheir notches lit the concavo-convex curvature of the blades; and meansclamping said disks together upon said core and blades and serving toprevent rotation of said laminated core relatively to said disks.

'7. The combination defined in claim 6 in which the means which connectsthe disks passes through the core and thus serves as means forpreventing relative rotation of the core and the disks.

8. A turbine runner comprising a plurality of radiating blades, eachblade being formed with a convex cylindrical leading face and a concavecylindrical reaction face, the edges of said blades being cut away neartheir inner ends to produce a reduced neck and an adjacent larger headat the inner end of the blades, at least the neck having flat parallelsurfaces at a definite angle to the reaction face of the blade; a pairof complemental disks having a peripheral annular rib, the ribs on thetwo disks being presented toward each other and engaging the necks ofthe blades, such engagement fixing the angular position of the bladesand the heads preventing outward movement of the blades; a laminatedcore comprising a plurality of circumferentially notched circular platesconned between said disks with successive blades received in successivenotches of the plates, the dimension of the notches in each plate andthe positions of the plates being so chosen as closely to coniine theportion of the blade with which each plate coacts; and means for lockingthe disks and plates into a rigid structure whereby the disks confinetheblades against radial and angular movement and the plates space theblades and transmit their face reaction to the disks.

9. A turbine runner comprising a pair of mating disks havingcomplementaryr hub forming portions, and having near the periphery oftheir proximatefaces an' offset forming an annular rib; a ringsurrounding and centering the hubforming portions of said disks; aplurality of appropriately contoured turbine blades mounted in acircular series around, and projecting beyond, the periphery of saiddisks, said blades being arranged approximately radially with respect tothe disks and having neck forming grooves which receive and closely iitthe ribs on the disks, whereby the disks positively position the bladesangularly and against motion in radial directions; a laminated corecomprising a plurality of plates interposed between said disks andcentered by said ring, each plate having a circumferential series ofperipheral notches which closely confine the inner ends of said blades;and means connecting the disks and the laminated core to form a unitarystructure in which the laminated core serves to space the bladescircumferentially and the disks positively position the blades in allother respects.

ORLANDO CELIO.

